
This shall be the last post of 2006. Hooray!
I like to wish everyone a Happy New Year and the best of health and happiness in 2007. Enjoy your New Year's eve and remember to party hard aye.
"This dark page has been turned over," Rubaie said. "Saddam is gone. Today Iraq is an Iraq for all the Iraqis, and all the Iraqis are looking forward. ... The [Hussein] era has gone forever."You know, I'm against any form of capital punishment. Saddam may be an evil man but I would prefer if he was put in jail for life. Taking away a life even if its evil solves nothing but just feed the revenge needs of mankind.
Rubaie, who witnessed the execution, said the former leader was "strangely submissive" to the process.
"He was a broken man," he said. "He was afraid. You could see fear in his face."
Rubaie said the execution was videotaped and photographed extensively from the time Hussein was transferred from U.S. to Iraqi custody until he was dead.
Many of those who witnessed the execution celebrated in the aftermath.
Jacques Arnould, an official at the Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES), said the French database of about 1,600 incidents would go live in late January or mid-February.It will be interesting to hear any official word from the French space agency regarding these UFO reports that they have collected. Are they really alien crafts or are they hoaxes? Over the years, there have been many governments such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Sweden, Brazil, Mexico, Spain, and the Soviet Union investigating UFO reports but none has publicly suggested that these UFOs are of extraterrestrial origins.
He said CNES had been collecting statements and documents for almost 30 years to archive and study them.
"Often, (reports of unidentified flying objects) are made to the Gendarmerie, which provides an official witness statement...and some come from airline pilots," he said by telephone.
Out of all of the activities, only housework significantly reduced the risk of both pre- and post-menopausal women getting the disease.
Housework cut breast cancer risk by 30% among the pre-menopausal women and 20% among the post-menopausal women.
The women were studied over an average of 6.4 years, during which time there were 3,423 cases of breast cancer.
The international authors said their results suggested that moderate forms of physical activity, such as housework, may be more important than less frequent but more intense recreational physical activity in reducing breast cancer risk.
Dr Lesley Walker of Cancer Research UK said: "We already know that women who keep a healthy weight are less likely to develop breast cancer.
"This study suggests that being physically active may also help reduce the risk and that something as simple and cheap as doing the housework can help."
# Clothes are key in concealing an erection. Never wear tight clothes, or clothes that restrict movement. Jeans can be good or bad, as looser jeans tend to shield the growth, and tighter jeans accentuate it. Khaki pants are said to be good for hiding the erection, as well.(Thanks Boywonder)
# Underclothes can also be a factor. As a general rule, underpants are better than boxers. However, realizing that many men prefer boxers, it is not necessary to wear underpants.
# Loose shirts are great if you can get away with them. If you're at school or someplace casual, use an untucked shirt at groin length to hide the erection. Sweatshirts work even better.
# When you can't get away with clothing, resort to dire measures! Physical barriers aid the concealment of this problem quite well. Get something between your member and the people you're around. Hiding it under a desk, putting a book in front of it (held casually with one hand, not obviously), or anything else you can think of is great for concealing it.
I had recently started posting pictures on Flickr, and as we planned our 2006 trip, I started wondering if I had any shots from our first venture that might be worth uploading.(Thanks GeekGod)
I dug into iPhoto, found the above shot, "antiqued it," and posted it to Flickr.
Then I promptly forgot about it.
That was until I received an email a few months later from a designer saying that he wanted to pay me for the rights to use the image as part of a book cover for a Simon and Schuster paperback.
I was shocked. I assumed it was a joke or a scam. But he provided his credentials and it quickly became apparent that he was completely legitimate. I agreed without hesitation.
The mass of ice broke clear 16 months ago from the coast of Ellesmere Island, about 800 kilometers (497 miles) south of the North Pole, but no one was present to see it in Canada's remote north.
Scientists using satellite images later noticed that it became a newly formed ice island in just an hour and left a trail of icy boulders floating in its wake.
Warwick Vincent of Laval University, who studies Arctic conditions, traveled to the newly formed ice island and could not believe what he saw.
"This is a dramatic and disturbing event. It shows that we are losing remarkable features of the Canadian North that have been in place for many thousands of years. We are crossing climate thresholds, and these may signal the onset of accelerated change ahead," Vincent said Thursday.
In 10 years of working in the region he has never seen such a dramatic loss of sea ice, he said.
The collapse was so powerful that earthquake monitors 250 kilometers (155 miles) away picked up tremors from it.
The announcement by the Bush administration comes in response to a lawsuit filed by three conservation groups, who sued the Department of the Interior in an effort to protect the polar bear from the effects of global warming.It's great that finally the US government is doing something really good for wildlife but this may be too late. Listing the polar bears as a threatened species will highlight the problems that these great animals are facing today but more needs to be done to ensure their survival and other animals like them that are struggling with the effects of global warming.
"The science is extraordinarily clear: Global warming in the Arctic threatens polar bears," said Kassie Siegel, an attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity based in Tucson, Arizona.
Greenpeace and the Natural Resources Defense Council are the other groups that were part of the lawsuit.
Kempthorne said the proposal to consider polar bears threatened involved the receding sea ice that the animals use for hunting. While he acknowledged that the melting ice is the result of climate change, Kempthorne stressed that the broader aspects of global warming are beyond the scope of the Endangered Species Act and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the agency that enforces it.
Chunghwa Telecom Co., the island's biggest phone company, said four ships are heading to the site off Taiwan's south coast for repairs starting Jan. 2 that may take two to three weeks. KDDI Corp., Japan's second-biggest carrier, said such operations can take "several weeks to months.''Previously: Taiwan earthquake disrupting internet
Companies from Kuwait Finance House, the Persian Gulf's largest Islamic investment bank, to Nippon Yusen K.K., Japan's biggest shipping line, are suffering from the loss of online services after a 7.1 magnitude quake struck southern Taiwan on Dec. 26. Cable operators are using back-up systems to help alleviate the bottleneck as parts of Hong Kong, China, Singapore and India remain without access.
"In terms of lost business, that amount will exceed the amount for repairs,'' Rob Enderle, an analyst with the research firm Enderle Group in San Jose, California. "Think of the trading organizations that exist in these geographies that trade in world markets that can't trade right now.''
"It's my own principle that downloading is wrong. Everybody has seen the advertisements in the theatres. Would you go out and steal a car? Would you go out and steal a handbag? You won't do that. Why would you download? It's exactly the same theory," says Ong Pang Soon, an avid online music buyer.And in a related news, Soundbuzz is still selling songs with DRM nonsense in the WMA format that is not compatible with your iPod. It is still not supporting Mac users and browsers other than Internet Explorer. Oh wait. They've just made their site compatible with Firefox, if you bother to install the IE Tab extension. Bah!
And that's a theory that is helping companies like Soundbuzz witness a healthy growth in the digital market.
They are projecting a 60% to 70% increase in online music sales from Singapore by this year-end.
Mobile music sales are also increasing.
The Ministry for Gender Equality is offering cash to companies whose male employees pledge not to pay for sex after office parties.
Men are being urged to register on the ministry's website. The companies with most pledges will receive a reward.
Officials say they want to put an end to a culture in which men get drunk at parties and go on to buy sex.
But some critics have described the move as a waste of money.
China Meteorological Administration (CMA) statistics show that there have been about 20 breaches by foreign individuals or institutes in China since 2000.
In 2005, a Japanese company was found to have established an illegal meteorological observation station around a photovoltaic power plant in Hami, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
This year, a British group set up a meteorological observation station without the government's approval near a military harbour and the venue for yachting events for the 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao, East China's Shandong Province.
"Illegal meteorological surveys and data collection, or other activities have infringed China's sovereignty, hurt normal international co-operation and exchange of meteorological information, and threatened the country's security," said Zheng Guoguang, vice-minister of the CMA.
Dear valued MaxOnline customersAnd here's the message from Singnet:
Due to an earthquake in Taiwan yesterday, the undersea cable was disrupted resulting in slow Internet access to some international sites. You can be assured that our topmost priority is to quickly restore services and we have deployed all available resources to address the situation as soon as possible.
Since yesterday, we have started re-routing the affected Internet traffic to other routes. Our engineers have been working round-the-clock and are doing their best to rectify the matter as soon as possible.
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience. An update will be provided as soon as we can.
Regards
StarHub Web Administrator
Dear customers, you may experience slow Internet access to overseas websites due to an earthquake that occurred in Taiwan. We are in the midst of restoring our service. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.Some websites are still unaccessible now and most are super slow but at least I'm able to access Blogger.
The US Geological Survey reported two quakes, one of 7.1 magnitude and one of 7.0 magnitude.
In Japan, authorities said a one-metre (three-foot) tsunami could be headed toward the Philippines, while the US Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre (PTWC) cautioned nations in the region to be on alert.
"Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100 kilometres (60 miles) of the earthquake epicentre," the PTWC said on its website.
"Authorities in the region of the epicentre should be aware of this possibility and take appropriate action," it said.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency said the quake was "able to trigger" a one-metre high tsunami that would be on course to hit Basco in the northern Philippines.
"But since it's been nearly two hours since the quake without any tsunami being observed, the possibility is declining," an agency official said.
After Tuesday's alert, there was some immediate confusion about the strength and danger to the region.
While average worldwide temperatures have risen 0.6 degree Celsius (one degree Fahrenheit) over the past century, the colder regions like the Arctic have warmed up to a far greater extent.And not forgetting, Happy Birthday to 16 year old Inuka!
The Arctic is home to arctic animals like whales, walruses, seals, music oxen and polar bears. And these animals are in direct danger due to the melting of ice throughout the Arctic. The melting of ice will particularly impact polar bears and ringed seals as they spend substantial time living and feeding on the ice.
The melting ice raises the sea level of the oceans. Every inch 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of sea-level rise could result in 2.4 metres (eight feet) of horizontal retreat of sandy beach shorelines due to erosion.
Put yourself in the polar bears' paws now. Save them before they disappear from the Arctic.
Merry Christmas to everyone!(Thanks Sir Thomas)
My sincere congratulations to everyone for the Glorious and Auspicious Birthday of Divine Prophet - confirmed and authenticated by Gabriel, the angel of Divine revelation - the Obedient of Almighty God,
Jesus Christ, the Messiah (peace be upon Him)
He was a messenger of peace, devotion and love based upon monotheism and justice. He was raised in His Mother’s hand – Virgin Mary (peace be upon her) – that Almighty God stood her as impeccable and exalted her above the women of the world. The Mother and the Son that in the Divine Sight are reputable and prestigious. And they are positioned by God – The All Wise- at a sublime level.
There’s no doubt, after God – the Peerless Creator, the Beneficent, the Merciful – created the human beings, did not forsake them on their own. By sending and assigning the emissaries – prophets and messengers - along with the righteous individuals, and on top of that, by providing and utilizing the mankind with the gifts of intellect and human nature, they are guided in the right path – in order to achieve the complete perfection. The human generations – one after another – were not created to live in anguish, intimidation, skirmish, aggression, oppression, and misery. And without enjoying an amity and fraternity atmosphere - replete of love and justice – depart this life and leave it for the next generations
Swinging activities can include (but are not limited to):
* Exhibitionism: having sex with a partner while being watched.
* Voyeurism: watching others have sex (perhaps with the above mentioned partner).
* Soft Swinging or Soft Swap: kissing, stroking, or having oral sex with a third or fourth person. This may be in the form of a threesome or group sex, or partners may literally be swapped.
* Full Swap: having penetrative sex with someone other than one's partner, which is the commonly understood definition of swinging (though not necessarily the most common type).
* Group Sex: An all inclusive term for activities involving multiple partners in the same vicinity.
Typically, swinging activities occur when a married or otherwise committed couple engages with either another couple, multiple couples, or a single individual. These acts can occur in the same room (often called same room swinging) though different or separate room swinging does occur. Sex on these occasions is often referred to as play.
While the vast majority of swingers are heterosexual couples, a major part of Lifestyle activities are bisexual in nature. A large portion of female swingers, while they may or may not identify as bisexual, are interested in female-female sexual contact. Male-male contact is very rare, and usually never allowed in at a Swing Club/Party.
1942. 16th Feb 1942, Japanese formally occupied Singapore. Singapore time moved ahead by 1 hr 30 min to conform with Tokyo Standard Time, which is 9 hours ahead of GMT.(Thanks Marcus Chen)
1945. 12th Sep 1945, Japanese formally surrendered in Singapore. Singapore time reverted to “pre-invasion” standard: 7 hrs 30 min ahead of GMT. The exact dates for the change to and from Tokyo Standard Time have not been ascertained yet. The dates given here are based on educated speculation...
1981. Sometime in 1981, Malaysia declared that West Malaysia would move their clocks ahead by 30 min to match the time in use in East Malaysia (8 hrs ahead of GMT). This meant that Singapore would be in a rather awkward position in time if she didn't follow suit, especially with the amount of traffic and trade across the causeway. Singapore Government Gazette Notification S 392/81 (dated 31 December 1981) notified the nation that as of 1st Jan 1982, Singapore Standard Time would be 8 hours ahead of GMT.
According to the data, drinking a moderate amount of alcohol — up to four drinks per day in men and two drinks per day in women — reduces the risk of death from any cause by roughly 18 percent, the team reports in the Archives of Internal Medicine...
Men who have more than four drinks per day and women who have more than two drinks per day not only lose the protection that alcohol affords, but they increase their risk of death, the data indicate.
The reason why men are protected at up to four drinks per day, while women lose the protection after two glasses has to do with how men and women metabolize alcohol, researchers say. It’s been shown that when men and women who drink the same amount of alcohol, women experience higher blood alcohol levels than men.
Torrential downpours since Sunday have caused rivers and dams to overflow in the states of Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan. Weather officials have described the flooding as the worst in the area in a century.The report also says that there could be a spike in vegetable prices in Malaysia and Singapore because most of the farms there have been wiped out by the flood.
Johor, the worst-hit state, opened nearly 300 flood relief centers on high ground to house 53,000 residents evacuated from their homes across all eight districts, Che Moin said. In the other three states, more than 7,500 people were forced to leave their homes.
Che Moin said the government will allocate money to help flood victims, although the amount has yet to be announced. Last December, $29.2 million in aid was given to help victims of the monsoon in northern Malaysia.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi "has asked us to expedite all assistance to the victims," Che Moin said, adding that relief teams were flying food and other supplies from Kuala Lumpur to areas largely cut off by the floods.
Even before its disappearance, the relic had a strange history. It was discovered in Calcata in 1557, and a series of miracles soon followed (freak storms, perfumed mists engulfing the village). The church gave the finding a seal of approval by offering a 10-year indulgence to those who came to venerate. Lines of pilgrims stretched from the church doors to beyond the walls of the fortress town. Nuns and monks from nearby villages and monasteries made candlelit processions. Calcata was a must-see destination on the pilgrimage map.
That is, until 1900. Facing increasing criticism after the "rediscovery" of a holy foreskin in France, the Vatican decreed that anyone who wrote about or spoke the name of the holy foreskin would face excommunication. And 54 years later, when a monk wanted to include Calcata in a pilgrimage tour guide, Vatican officials didn't just reject the proposal (after much debate). They upped the punishment: Now, anyone uttering its name would face the harshest form of excommunication—"infamous and to be avoided"—even as they concluded that Calcata's holy foreskin was more legit than other claimants'.
1. You've had the breakups that led to breakdowns that led to the breakthrough.(Thanks Myra Leong)
2. You've sowed your wild oats—and now think, "Sow what?" All those tempting choices aren't as tempting as you'd thought.
3. You're healthier and more together—meaning the relationship now has at least a 50% chance of being healthier and staying together.
4. After having endured a gazillion bad dates, suddenly your fear of working at a relationship is a lot less scary than your fear of more bad dates.
5. You now know when a relationship is on the road to nowhere—and how to find the exit ramp away from emotionally unavailable territory.
"People say toilets represent the level of development of a country," Najib said in his speech.
"The adequate number of toilets, quality and maintenance of public washrooms are a benchmark of the infrastructural development of a country," he said.
The new toilets are air-conditioned and are outfitted with a seat cleaner that automatically cleans after every use.
The facilities also include a baby change station and seats for children.
Consumers will be charged one ringgit or $0.28 dollars per use.
The government is hoping to place 23 toilets around Kuala Lumpur, more so in major shopping districts and tourist sites.
Members of the Civil Defence Force rescued three employees Tuesday from an office building after flooding prevented them from opening the main gate. A hole was cut in a side fence to let them out...Occasional heavy rain is expected to continue over Singapore till Wednesday morning and places like Chinatown and Tanjong Katong are prone to flash floods. From Channel NewsAsia:
Vehicles were diverted from several traffic junctions rendered impassable by the rising water.
Mudslides carried soil and trees down a slope, covering two cars, parts of a playground and the front yards of several homes.
"What a backbreaking task, scooping water out of the house," 60- year-old housewife Habsah Rohe told The Straits Times.
Within two hours, water that started rising around the wooden home was up to her knees.
A tall tree toppled and smashed the windows of four flats at a housing block and damaged a concrete ledge.
As the incoming tide is expected to reach its highest point of 2.6m at 11.55pm on Tuesday night, flash floods could still occur at low-lying areas such as:Our neighbour Johor is also affected by the heavy rain which was described as a "once in 100 years phenomenon". The situation there is much worse with more than 10,000 people evacuated. From Bernama:
i) Chinatown/ City area
Mosque Street, Pagoda Street, Temple Street, Trengganu Street, Upper Pickering Street between South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road, South Bridge Road, Upper Hokkien Street between South Bridge Road and New Bridge Road, Chulia Street beside UOB Plaza, Circular Road and McCallum Street/Boon Tat Link;
ii) Tanjong Katong area
Dakota Crescent, Meyer Place, Meyer Road, Dunman Road, Fort Road, Rose Lane and Stadium Road;
iii) Geylang area
Guillemard Road between Lor 26 to 32 Geylang, Lor 4 to Lor 22, Geylang, Lor 101 to 106, Changi Road and Langsat Road;
iv) Area off Jalan Besar between Weld Road and Kitchener Road;
v) Lorong Buangkok.
As at 5 pm, 3,743 people from 561 families were sent to 35-flood relief centres in Skudai, Pasir Gudang, Masai and Ulu Tiram.Update: Watch the videos of the Singapore flood
These people are from Kampung Melayu Sengkang, Kulai (88), Kampung Laut, Skudai (722), Lorong Aris (170), Kampung Sungai Beso (113), Kampung Maju Jaya (243), Kampung Bendahara (10) and Kampung Mohd Amin (102).
Kampung Kangkar Tebrau had its 150 residents evacuated, Kampung Pasir Tebrau (200), Kampung Paya Kenangan (150), Kampung Plentong Baru (200), Kampung Sentosa Barat (100), Kampung Rinting (200), Kampung Paya Nam Heng (44), Batu 20, Sungai Tiram (30) and Kampung Mados Batu 19 (56).
Other areas affected were Kampung Bukit Pulai, Pasir Gudang (20), Kampung Sri Bahagia, Plentong (110), Kampung Sepakat (400), Kampung Sungai Tiram (eight) Kampung Oren, Bukit Tiram (200), Kampung Sentosa, Pasir Gudang (60), Kampung Melayu Pandan (500) and Kampung Taman Saujana (100).
Abdul Ghani said that in Batu Pahat, a total of 542 people from 90 families had to be moved to 13 relief centres while in Segamat, 679 people from 138 families were moved to 14 centres.
Some 1,651 residents were evacuated in Muar, and 170 people from 48 families were moved to two centres in Pontian while 85 people from 20 families have been evacuated to two centres in Kota Tinggi.
“The more we look the more we find,” said Stuart Chapman, WWF International coordinator for the study of the “Heart of Borneo,” a 85,000-square-mile rain forest in the center of the island where several of the new species were found. “These discoveries reaffirm Borneo’s position as one of the most important centers of biodiversity in the world.”Hopefully this will show everyone, especially the governments of the world, how important it is to conserve the habitat and species of Borneo and other rain forests. We must not let our forests and the animals living in them be rooted out for the sake of more wood, palm oil and rubber.
...The discoveries bring the total number of species newly identified on the island to more than 400 since 1996, according to WWF, known in North America as the World Wildlife Fund.
Other creatures discovered between July 2005 and September 2006 were six Siamese fighting fish, whose unique colors and markings distinguish them from close relatives, and a tree frog with bright green eyes.
"IZ...Ah, don't we just love blog awards and for the record, I DID NOT curry favor with Xiaxue or sleep with her just to get votes from her or her fans. And no, we are not getting married and she's not having my baby either. I'm not worthy.
I watched the polls the last couple of hours and it was close. My site was up and then down and...
I signed off at 11:00 and you were ahead...So, I wrote the concession speech...It appeared you had won....
Several of my readers told me that your readers, not you, were rallying support on Xiaxue's blog..."Currying favor" was not meant to be negative. It was a competition and I knew your fans and Singapore were going to support you and in a big way...They SHOULD have...You should be proud of your readership....
Combined we doubled and tripled the vote tally of some of the most popular blogs on the planet...That alone is something we both should be proud of...
Re: The girl with cancer...
On my blog you will see a few feedblitz ads. The Paypal account that receives those funds donates ALL proceeds to two charities: The China-US Medical Foundation and The League of Extraordinary Chinese Women (a fund to aid victims of cancer) a group that has one of my past students in the ranks...She is 22 and in need of an artificial leg after undergoing surgery last month...
The students at her school, rural students with few resources and ardent readers of my blog, fought for Coffee (the girl's name) as well as to just have a dogfight with Singapore....
We ALL won. My traffic has increased I am sure has yours, and it is a win-win regardless of who was tagged as Best Asian Blog. More money will go to my charities and your readership will increase....I hope you will not allow people to cheapen a sincere effort for a much needed....
I like your blog...You are on my blog list and will remain there...
I intend to delete any sour grapes comments from my blog that would put you, Xiaxue or ANYONE in a bad light...My blog, except for rallying against PRC censorship and poverty in China, is a positive one and will remain so....
Mine is NOT the best blog is Asia, but I will wear the tag for a year if the results hold....And I will applaud you if they do not...
Thanks for a great battle....
Lonnie B Hodge
Onemanbandwidth"
It takes approximately eight weeks for an album to hit the shelves once it has been turned in to the record company. For whatever reasons, it appears that it may have been mistakenly inferred by management that this time period could be condensed to three weeks. With that being said, this is not a promise, a lie or a guarantee, but we do wish to announce a tentative release date of March 6. This is the first time we have done this publicly for this album. Others have made up all the other dates for their own reasons. We would like to assure the fans that everything in our power will be done to meet this date. Once it is finalized and official, you will be notified. If we are delayed for unseen reasons, you also will be notified as soon as possible in regard to a new date, and the album will be released as shortly thereafter as is possible. We thank you for your patience.March 6 2007. The real countdown to Chinese Democracy begins now. Or is it? Will Axl Rose freak out and fail to deliver the album again? Will he disappear, only to return in 2020, by then China would have been a fully democratic country (not!) ?
In the end, it’s just an album, but it’s one that I, the band, our record company and all involved believe and feel is a true Guns N’ Roses album. Ultimately the public will decide, and regardless of the outcome, our hearts, lives and our passion has been put into this project every step of the way. If for no other reason, we feel those elements alone merit your consideration. We do hope you can hold on just a bit longer, and if not, please take a break and we’ll be more than glad -- if you so choose -- to see you again later.
Gartner analyst Daryl Plummer said the reason for the levelling off in blogging was due to the fact that most people who would ever start a web blog had already done so.
He said those who loved blogging were committed to keeping it up, while others had become bored and moved on.
"A lot of people have been in and out of this thing," Mr Plummer said.
"Everyone thinks they have something to say, until they're put on stage and asked to say it."
Last month blog tracking firm Technorati reported that 100,000 new blogs were being created every day, and 1.3 million blog posts were written.
The survey of 2,287 U.S. adults by research firm Harris Interactive found the main culprits tend to be women, with 21 percent unable to resist the temptation for a sneaky peep compared to 15 percent of men.
The younger 18 to 34 crowd also have less self-control than the 35-plus crowd, with 32 percent taking a sneaky look compared to 12 percent, according to the survey that was conducted on behalf of Yahoo! Shopping.
Gift wrapping expert Christine Fritsch, author of the book "Gifted Wrapping", suggested hiding present for children up high and trying to disguise adult's presents.
Victoria Potter, Durex NZ Manager says past Durex Global Sex Surveys consistently revealed Kiwis are an active nation when it comes to sex. Each year Kiwis were found to have one of the highest numbers of sexual partners and one-night stands. In addition, it was also revealed that Kiwis are relatively more adventurous when it comes to experimenting in the bedroom.Come on you Kiwis! Join the Durex Explorer Club now.
"Over the years Kiwis have proven they're a sexually energetic bunch, and therefore it makes sense that a select few will have the chance to try our latest condom innovation, all in the name of research.
"Durex values the opinions of its customers and we see this as another way in which we can receive feedback on our products," says Ms Potter.
"Durex wants to ensure that its condoms are best meeting the needs of New Zealanders from delivering on sexual pleasure, to keeping them safe."
The trial in Kenya found a 53% reduction in new HIV infections in heterosexual men who were circumcised while the Ugandan study reported a drop of 48%.This is really an amazing discovery. I'm glad I did mine when I was a boy. Ok, off topic here. I don't really like to make fun of people's names but how can one not laugh at the name of the director of the HIV/Aids department in the story above. Dr Kevin De COCK! Dude, you're so perfect for the job.
Results last year from a study in 3,280 heterosexual men in South Africa, which was also stopped early, showed a 60% drop in the incidence of new infections in men who had been circumcised.
There are several reasons why circumcision may protect against HIV infection.
Specific cells in the foreskin may be potential targets for HIV infection and also the skin under the foreskin becomes less sensitive and is less likely to bleed reducing risk of infection following circumcision...
Dr Kevin De Cock, director of the HIV/Aids department of the World Health Organization told the BBC the results were a "significant scientific advance" but were not a magic bullet and would never replace existing prevention strategies.
"We will have to convene a meeting which we hope will happen quite soon to review the data in more detail and have discussions about the implications.
"This is an intervention that must be embedded with all the other interventions and precautions we have. Men must not consider themselves protected. It's a very important intervention to add to our prevention armamentarium."
1. Wash clothes in cold water. You might guess that most of the energy used by a washing machine goes into vigorously swishing the clothes around. In fact, about 90 percent of it is spent elsewhere, heating the water for the load. You can save substantially by washing and rinsing at cooler temperatures. Warm water helps the suds to get at the dirt, but cold-water detergents will work effectively for just about everything in the hamper.
2. Hang it up. Clotheslines aren't just a bit of backyard nostalgia. They really work, given a stretch of decent weather. You spare the energy a dryer would use, and your clothes will smell as fresh as all outdoors without the perfumes in fabric softeners and dryer sheets. You'll also get more useful life out of clothes dried on indoor or outdoor clotheslines--after all, dryer lint is nothing but your wardrobe in the process of wearing out.
3. Don't overdry your laundry. Clothes will need less ironing and hold up better if you remove them from the dryer while they're still just a bit damp. If you are in the market for a dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor; it will be less likely than thermostat-equipped models to run too long.
4. Let the dishwasher do the work. Don't bother prerinsing dishes with the idea that your dishwasher will work less hard. Consumer Reports has found that this added step can waste 20 gallons of heated water a day. All you need to do is scrape off leftover food. Enzyme-based detergents will help make sure the dishes emerge spotless.
5. Put your PC to sleep. Keep your computer and its monitor in sleep mode rather than leaving them on around the clock. You stand to use 80 percent less electricity, which over the course of a year could have the effect of cutting CO2 emissions by up to 1,250 pounds, according to EPA estimates.
The most noisy toys were found to be toy guns, including a mechanical toy machine gun, a plastic tommy gun and a cap gun.You can click on the BBC link for the list of all the toys tested and the average noise level they produce.
They had the potential to cause serious damage to a child's hearing and could cause instant hearing loss, the researchers said.
Other toys tested included bestsellers such as Pixar Cars 'Lightening McQueen', Fireman Sam's Action Jupiter and Tomy's 'Spin n'Sound' remote-controlled car...
Researcher Dr Brad Backus said: "Children's toys clearly have the potential to do harm to their hearing so it's important that people are aware of the dangers and what to do about them.
"With most of the toys we tested, apart from the guns, there is a potential for harm but they're safe if used sensibly.
"With most toys, your child will only damage their hearing if they use them too often and for too long a duration, or if they stick them in their ear."
Dr Backus said parents should ensure that their children did not hold noisy toys too close to their ear, or let them play with them for more than an hour a day.
"We have already witnessed major losses in sea ice, but our research suggests that the decrease over the next few decades could be far more dramatic than anything that has happened so far," Holland said. "These changes are surprisingly rapid."
However, the future of the Arctic doesn't have to be so grim: running simulations with less greenhouse gases, the researchers found that the summer sea ice melted at a much slower rate.
"Our research indicates that society can still minimize the impacts on Arctic ice," Holland said.
A flying ghost at Changi Hospital, a playful tree spirit at Bedok Reservoir and the ghost of a girl who died at the famous Yellow Tower at...